About St. Catherine University

St. Catherine University flagship campus in Minnesota.

Founded in 1905 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Catherine University, also known as St. Kate’s, is a nonprofit, faith-based higher learning institution with campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. While our university was established for women, we now offer a variety of accredited programs, from associate to doctoral, in more than 100 fields of study for both women and men.

Our university is unique in that we incorporate liberal arts curriculum and Roman Catholic values in all of our academic programs as a way to develop transformational leaders. Students graduate with a well-rounded education that emphasizes:

Leadership and Collaboration

Ethics and Social Justice

Diversity and Global Perspectives

Critical and Creative Inquiry

Discipline-based Competence

Effective Communication

Purposeful Life-long Learning

As part of its “Best Colleges 2017” rankings, U.S. News and World Report listed St. Catherine University as the highest ranking Minnesota institution in the “Best Regional Universities – Midwest” category.

About the OTA Program

St. Catherine University has a long history of successfully educating occupational therapy assistants, having launched the nation’s first OTA program in 1964. With an eye toward growth and innovation, we were also the first university to offer an associate degree OTA program that blends 80% online and 20% on-site curriculum that must be completed in person.

Today, our Online OTA program continues to set the academic and professional standards for this unique healthcare segment, while maintaining a strong reputation within the medical community.

Overall, the program affords the knowledge, skills, and job readiness required to take the NBCOT® Exam for becoming a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA). Employers also like that our graduates know how to work cooperatively with interdisciplinary teams under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR) in a rapidly changing healthcare and community environment.